Feeding attachment for printing-presses



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. S.A.G RANT. FEEDING ATTAGHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES. No. 249,755. 8h 5Patented Nov. 22,1881.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

s. A. GRANT. FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

Patented Nov. 22,1881.

N. PETERS. ml mna m ner, Waihiuglcn. n c

SIDNEY A. GRANT, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEEDiNG ATTACHMENT FOR PRlNTlNG-PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,755, dated November22, 1881.

Application filed January 31,1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, SIDNEY A. GRANT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, county ofHampden, and State of Massachusetts, have invented new andusefullinprovements in Envelope-Feeding Devices for Printing-Presses, ofwhich the following is a press, where they receive a printed impressionand are conveyed from there to any convenient receptacle provided forreceiving the printed envelopes.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a printin g-press-such as Kidders patent, February 10,1880, No. 224,4l4l=0lliLVlIl g applied thereto my improvedenvelopefeeding devices. Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the endless feedapron or-belt and the feed and guide rollers of the press, all showndetached from the latter.

A is the bed of the printing-press.

B is the platen.

dc are feed-rollers adapted to be rotated intermittently by anywell-known devices.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 are gnide-rollsin the press,over which the apron runs.

5 is an envelope-feed box.

0 is a narrow bottom plate, partially covering the bottom of thefeed-box t.

a is a series of envelopes, piled fiatwise in box 1', and shown throughthebroken-away side of said box in Fig. 1.

c are envelopes riding upon and carried by the apron.

b is an endless apron or belt adapted to be moved intermittently arounda printing-press upon proper feed and guide rolls, and is provided withone or more series of lips, or, formed or arranged inlongitudinal linesupon orin said apron by cutting around three sides of said (No model.)

lips, as shown, or otherwise, so that each lip w-illbe practicallyoveran opening in the apron. I construct the apron b of thin flexible metalor other suitable material, making cuts therein, as shown, to disengagethe lips 00 therefrom around three of their sides, so that their freededges may be sprung away from the plain face of the apron when thelatter moves over certain rollers, as and for the purpose hereinafterstated, and spring back again when that portion of the apron has passedby said rollers, as shown at rollers 4 and 5 in Fig. 2, and betweenrollers 5 and 6, same figure, and in 1 at rollers 4t, 5, and l. The saidseries of lips may be formed in a single longitudinal line in said apronor more. Apron b' is mounted upon the rollers 1 2 3 at 5 6 7 of aprinting-press and passes between the feedrollers d 0 thereof, whichroll closely upon each side of the apron and draw it between them. said.apron, the latter has pierced in one edge thereof a series of pin-holes,as shown in Fig. 2, and upon roller d is set a series of pins, 8, whichenter said pin-holes as the apron passes between said rollers, and thusthe apron is compelled to obey the movements of said rollers.

The feed-rollers d and a have an intermittent rotary motion given tothem by the press through such devices as are shown, or other similarones.

The envelope-feed box 1' is supported in an inclined position on a partof the press, as shown, and has a narrow bottom, 0, partially coveringits lower end, and the open or uncovered portion thereof is over thatpart of the apron b which runs over roller 5, and is over one of thelines of lips so in said apron. When more than one line of said lips isformed in said apron a feed-box, t, is provided for each line thereof.

The operation of my improved feed devices is as follows: A pile ofenvelopes with their seal-flaps down is placed in the feed-box i, andwhen so placed therein will rest in the position shown in Fig. 1. Itwill be seen that that portion of the seal side of the envelopes belowthe seal-flaps is over the narrow bottom 0 of said feed-box; but theweight of the pile and 7 O In addition to said means for moving thenatural inclination of a seal-flap to spring 011' causes the seal-flapot' the bottom envelope of the pile as they are removed one by one tospring down away from the under face of the envelope, and the pressureof the narrow bottom upon that part of the bottom envelope to one sideof the seal-flap contributes to make the flap of said envelope springoff, as above described. The printing-press is set in motion and themovements of the platen and the intermittent movements of the apron bare timed so that each time the apron stops the platen 13 moves towardthe bed A to produce an impression. As said apron 1) moves around thepress and over roller 5 under the feed-box i, each lip a? as it goesover said roller springs out, as shown at rollers t and 5, and as itmoves under the pile a of the envelopes in box 5 it hooks under theseal-flap of the bottom one and draws it out from under the said box andcarries it along over the bed of the press, where it is printed upon,andthence over back of the same, where it is removed or drops from theapron as it passes over roller 1, which causes the lip as to spring outand free it.

Another and great advantage gained by the operation of a feed-apronconstructed as is that herein shown and described is that the lips 00carrying the envelope is interposed between the flap thereof and thefront side of the en velope, which receives the printed impression, andforms a plain even surface or backing for the envelope when it isprinted upon, and obviates theinconveniences arisingfrom printing uponthe face of the envelope when the sealtlap lies directly under it. Afurther advantage is that; each envelope is held absolutely in properposition, with no tendency to assume an angle to the bed.

It is obvious that lips to serve the purpose of the lips as, hereinshown and described, may be secured upon the face of an endless apronsimilar to apron b by soldering or otherwise securing said lips to theface of an apron by one edge; but this modification would beobjectionable, because it would not leave the apron of one uniformthickness throughout, and would be liable to cause inconvenience in theoperation of the feed-rolls.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with a box, 2',adapted to hold a series of envelopes with their flaps downward. andwith a printing bed and platen, of an apron traversing between said bedand platen and below said box, and provided with lips so, constructedand arranged as described, to catch the envelope-flaps, and applianceswhereby said apron is moved intermittently to retain each envelope in afixed position while being printed, as set forth.

2. In an envelope-feeding device for printing-presses, the combinationof the endless apron I), provided with the lips as, projecting at anangle therefrom over openings therein, the feed-box 2', having aiartially-closed bottom, and of appliances, substantially as described,for imparting to said apron an intermittent motion in one directionundersaid feedbox and across the platen A of the printingpress,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

SIDNEY A. GRANT.

Witnesses:

H. A. UIIAPIN, J. D. GARFIELD.

